The Madras High Court on Friday rejected an appeal by self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda, who sought recognition as the head of four mutts in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts.
A Bench comprising Justices R. Subramanian and C. Kumarappan ruled that the Court could not interfere with appointments made by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
The Court further stated that it found no reason to overturn the single-judge ruling from September last year, which Nithyananda had challenged before the present Bench.
On September 9, 2024, Justice M. Dhandapani had refused to intervene in the HR&CE Department’s decision to appoint another person as the head of the mutts, replacing Nithyananda following a rape case and other allegations against him. At the time, Justice Dhandapani had also questioned how Nithyananda could assert his claim through a “representative” and expressed doubts over the validity of such representation, given that Nithyananda’s whereabouts remained unknown.
Despite this, Nithyananda approached the High Court earlier this month to challenge the single-judge order.
In his petition, filed through advocate Godson Swaminathan, he argued that the single judge had erred in denying him relief. He further claimed in his appeal that it was “common knowledge” that he resided in Kailasa, “a nation recognized by the United Nations and maintaining diplomatic relations with over 50 countries worldwide.”
Nithyananda also sought an interim stay on the single-judge’s ruling.
However, the High Court found no merit in his arguments and dismissed the petition. It further clarified that the trial court handling the cases against Nithyananda should not be influenced by observations made by either the single-judge or the Division Bench.
